Cigarette butts are one of the most haphazardly discarded items, and an estimated 766,571 metric tons of them end up deposited into the environment each year across the globe. Furthermore, even if the cigarette butts are disposed of properly, they still pose a threat since arsenic and other harmful chemicals leak from them into the earth and waterways. But now a team of researchers from Seoul National University have found a way to recycle used cigarette filters into super-effective energy storage material. They recently published their findings in the journal Nanotechnology.
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It has now been a year since the Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF) in Washington DC has been built and its energy harvesting capabilities began to be monitored. The home was built on the campus at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where scientists and researchers conducted a computer simulation that replicated the energy consumption of a family of four. The results showed the home to be a success, since after a year the home generated 13,577 kWh of energy. This is about 491 kWh more than was needed.
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In the last few years, it’s been well-established that shipping containers make awesome, trendy and eco-friendly homes. But for those who still doubt it (or anyone looking for inspiration) here is a list of ten ways in which a shipping container can become a home, ranging from the simplest to the most extravagant.

The LEED Platinum for homes rating is quite rare. In fact, the recently completed Italian BioCasa 82 is the first home in Europe to receive this high rating. BioCasa82 was designed by the Italian firm Rosario Picciotto Architects and constructed by Welldom, a company that specializes in green building. It is located in Montebelluna, a town near Venice, Italy.
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The modular homebuilders Avante Developments of Edmonton, Canada unveiled their newest offering at this year’s K-Days fair. It is an example of the type of shipping container modular home the company offers. The custom made shipping container homes they offer range from single-family to multi-family units, while they are also offering solutions for shipping container office spaces, hotels and restaurants. The units they offer can easily be transported to almost anywhere.
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A group of researchers at Stanford University have developed a new type of coating, which will allow solar cells to cool themselves. This breakthrough would eliminate the need for water and energy intensive coolants and ventilation, which is currently used to cool solar cells. It would also extend the life span of the solar cells considerably.
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